Examining a badly decomposed corpse is de rigueur for forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. But puzzling damage on the body of a shooting victim, an Orthodox Jewish man, suggests this is no ordinary Montreal murder. When a stranger slips Tempe a photograph of a skeleton unearthed at an archaeological site, Tempe uncovers chilling ties between the dead man and secrets long buried in the dust of Israel. Traveling there with Detective Andrew Ryan, Tempe plunges into an international mystery as old as Jesus, and centered on the controversial discovery of Christ's tomb. Has a mastermind lured her into an elaborate hoax? If not, Tempe may be on the brink of rewriting two thousand years of history -- if she can survive the foes dead set on burying her.

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First Sentence
FOLLOWING AN EASTER DINNER OF HAM, PEAS, and creamed potatoes, Charles "Le Cowboy" Belle-mare pinched a twenty from his sister, drove to a crack house in Verdun, and vanished.&nbspRead the first page

Most helpful customer reviews

Cross Bones - well, this story covers what it appears to be ... let's call it a crossover between Suspense and the DaVinci Code. Yes, excavations in Israel, religious beliefs and Jesus' story and family life come under scrutiny as well as the desperate attempt by certain fractions to not let it get out of hand - speak, not losing the long lasting control over others and/or exploiting the same for various reasons. And while I do side with those believing that old graves should not be plundered, put under the microscope and then exhibited in museums but instead left in peace - be they Egyptian mummies, Neanderthal bones or bones seemingly of important people - I do disagree with violent methods and bullying tactics to get their way.It all starts fairly innocently with the apparent suicide of a local business man ... being locked up in a closet with his pet cats ... hence the need for an anthropologist. The autopsy is being fought, unsuccessfully, however, beliefs are being respected to a degree possible, so the morgue becomes rather crowded. And then a photograph comes to light that complicates everything, eventually leading both Dr Brennan and Andrew Ryan to Israel.As always, Kathy Reichs is very detailed in her descriptions - not only covering a different forensic or anthropological issue with every new novel but the author also makes sure that the reader always receives detailed information of the surroundings Tempe is in as well as what people look like as well as their characteristics and behaviour. Be that through detailed descriptions or even a map of the area visited - although there are times when I would happily see even further details. Overall, the reader is never left in the dark - even with details provided in other storylines - Kathy Reichs always seems to find a way to interweave necessary reminders and information to be enough for first-time readers without boring those having enjoyed previous adventures. Well Done, Kathy!

If you like the suspense/thriller genre, you should like this book and the preceeding ones. "Cross Bones" was my first Reichs novel and am happy to report that it is a good read.Detailed, with a flair for throwing in a lot of scientific/historical information.I read this book first, and then went back and read her earlier novels. This book hooked me on the entire series, and I read them all within a couple of weeks.The only complaint I do have is in detail Reich includes in areas that are not necessary. She goes a little overboard in describing locations, local history, and scenery, when its not needed. Its a bit tiresome due to the volume of detail needed to address the forensics in this, and each prior novel, but nonetheless, its a great read.You won't be disappointed in this and the prior novels if you enjoy writers such as Dan Brown, Nelson DeMille, or Elizabeth Kostova for that matter.

The storyline had glimpses of intrigue, but it was so jammed with excess characters and unecessary detail that it became tedious. It was also very repetitive, as though the author knew she was constantly losing her audience and had to keep reminding them of the plot. I kept going hoping for an exciting and satisfying ending, but it was not to be. In fact, the main story got sidelined and it all ended with a pitiful wimper. To me the best part was the sweet and sassy relationship between the two main characters.